Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountain Foothills Hides An Underrated Community With Wine And Brews

If you're on the East Coast and ready for a road trip, there's one obvious place that should quickly come to mind — the Blue Ridge Parkway. America's favorite drive will take you through many charming towns across two states. If you start your journey on the southern end in Cherokee, North Carolina, you'll meander through the Blue Ridge Mountains for 469 miles until you eventually get to Milepost 0 in Afton, Virginia. Don't let that be the end of your journey, though. You may have never heard of Afton, but this underrated community in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a charming spot that deserves a few days of exploration. 

Afton is a little town of less than 400 residents, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to do. In addition to being the starting (or ending) point of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Afton is also the starting point for another very cool expedition you may want to embark on — the Nelson 151 Craft Beverage Trail. Virginia Route 151 is a scenic byway that has a multitude of places brewing up locally-made beverages. It will take you to other nearby towns like Roseland and Nellysford, another foodie haven bordered by the Blue Ridge Mountains, but there are also several places on the Nelson 151 trail that are located right in Afton — like Silverback Distillery. If you're more into beer and wine, you'll be pleasantly surprised at some of the unique offerings in Afton. 

One place you'll want to stop in for a cold brew while you're in Afton is Blue Mountain Brewery – Virginia's first rural brewery. This is as farm-to-glass as it gets, as the brewery grows its own hops. It has a variety of locally-made beers on tap, and this Google reviewer tried them all, saying, "I had a ball with their flight! You get to sample all 10 of their brews! My top favorites were their Hazy IPA Phased and also their Tropical Half Nelson, an American IPA." You'll want to come hungry, too. You'll find a full menu, including a large array of gluten-free dishes. 

You can also visit the smallest production brewery in Virginia — Wild Man Dan Brewery. It brews small batches in a barn from the 1900s, and you can even stay overnight at this brewery in an 1870s farmhouse. The six-bedroom, five-bath home even comes with a welcome beer tasting. If you go, you may want to try to align your trip with one of the famous grilled cheese and beer pairing events. On select Saturdays, a chef and a brewer come together to create some unique pairings. These aren't the grilled cheese sandwiches you grew up eating as a kid, though. Every month is entirely different, but one of their previous scrumptious offerings included peach, mango, jalapeño, basil chutney, gruyere, and mozzarella on Texas toast — paired with a Strawberry Rhubarb Wheat Bier. 

Wine-lovers will also be ecstatic to discover the flavorful options that await in Afton. Flying Fox Vineyard and Winery is a fun option, as it's located inside an old fiber mill. Cardinal Point Vineyard and Winery and Valley Road Vineyards are a couple of the other Afton-based wineries on the Nelson 151 Craft Beverage Trail that you'll want to visit. And if you don't want to choose between beer or wine, you can visit Hazy Mountain Vineyards and Brewery — it has the best of both worlds. 

Afton Mountain Vineyards is another great option — it was one of the first vineyards in Virginia. If the idea of waking up in a vineyard sounds like your idea of paradise, you can also book one of the five on-site cottages. This Tripadvisor reviewer shared, "The view was awesome, the Anna cabin was extremely nice, and we had a great stay. Highly recommend it. The surrounding area is fantastic."

If you want to start your road trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Afton, or if you just want to come for a visit to explore the community, you can fly into Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO), rent a car, and drive there in about half an hour. If you've enjoyed tasting your way along the Nelson 151, you may also want to stay a night in Charlottesville before you head back home. It too is a lively Virginia town with a vibrant wine scene, and it could serve as a great finale to your trip.